2026 was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the St. Louis Cardinals. A busy offseason under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom led to the departure of multiple key veterans, such as third baseman Nolan Arenado, first baseman Willson Contreras, and starting pitcher Sonny Gray. A youth movement has overtaken the home clubhouse at Busch Stadium. That movement has led to a surprising season in which the Cardinals are in the playoff hunt. Due to the Cards’ level of play so far this year, Bloom now has to weigh potential deals ahead of the upcoming MLB trade deadline. ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle broke down the precarious position Bloom is currently in.
“His most tradeable players — Riley O’Brien, JoJo Romero, Lars Nootbaar — should remain alluring right down to the deadline, if subtracting turns out to be the way to go,” wrote Doolittle on Wednesday morning. “But if St. Louis keeps this up and remains in solid playoff position by late July, then Bloom and his staff must determine how aggressive they want to be in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season.”
O’Brien and Romero would be welcome additions to the bullpen of any contending team. Meanwhile, Nootbaar just returned from a season-opening stint on the IL. While the 28-year-old still hasn’t hit the heights of his potential, Nootbaar could also be a strong addition to a contender’s outfield. All three are players, plus a couple of other veterans, who could be on the trading block.
However, the Cardinals’ current six-game winning streak could lead to all of these veterans staying put. The youth movement in St. Louis is fronted by a host of position players finding their way at the major league level. Right fielder Jordan Walker has finally begun to deliver on the promise of his highly touted prospect ranking. Second baseman JJ Wetherholt has had a very promising rookie campaign. Other contributors, like Ivan Herrera and Masyn Winn, look to be long-term pieces as well. Will Bloom elect to bring more veterans to build for the future? Or will he keep his clubhouse intact for a surprising playoff run?
The post Cardinals rumors: 3 ‘most tradeable’ players before deadline, but there’s a twist appeared first on ClutchPoints.
